NiGHTS Hope in Reality
by sonicxjones
Summary: Follow up to Awaking from Dreams Saga. Nights/August happily lives in the human world. NiGHTS is now a super hero: The Night Jester! Things are going very well, though..(rater may go up in some chapters, leaving at T to cover it)


Alarms blare in the in the night covered town, followed by gun shots, as a group of robbers tries to leave with huge sacks of coin cash.

"Hurry the cops are coming!"

"One smoke screen coming up, boss." One of the robbers throws a grey ball which mists up the area so that they can make their getaway.

"Ha! There's no stopping us now!" "Ha ha! You betcha!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

One of the three robbers pulls out his gun, "Who said that?"

"That would be me." They hear a voice behind them, turning around their eyes widen in shock. "It's the Night Jester!"

"Run!"

"They always do.." The jester sighs. The three robbers run back up the street, and into an alleyway.

"I think we lost him."

"Come on, this way." The thieves begin to run again through the darkened streets.

Ah dead end.

"Great, mon, You led us to a dead end!" "I thought you said you knew these streets, boss."

"I warned you the map was old!" "It's only a year off! AND it was on sale!"

"Well that's good for me, not you." Another voice popped in. All three thieves pull out their guns, looking around.

"There he is!" The three instantly start shooting. The jester flies around avoiding the bullets and taking each out one by one. "This guy can fly?!"

"I so can!"

The last burglar tries to make a run for it. But the jester blocks him. "Boo."

"AAAHHHH!"

Soon the police cars comes racing and stop right in front of the dead end alley. There was the three tied up. "I hate clowns," Mutters one of the caught burglars.

"He did it again." Another cop nods to the first one that spoke, "That Night Jester is a real good help around here."

"Got that right." "I just wish we could thank him."

"We will, let's take care of these goons first."

The cop nods, "Right, Chief."

The jester watches from a distance. "You guys are welcome. Oh shoot! I have to get home!"

It's a school night.

As he flies off the camera focuses on the lights onto of the police cars...

...

...

The light shimmers, and slowly becomes a bright flame. The flame roars through a window of a large building.

"AAAAAHHHH!" An agonized scream echoes through the night, as a figure comes out of the burning building, flames covering the figure.

They grew higher and higher. "Someone! Please! HELP ME!" Ghe figure cries, clutching their burning face in their hands, "I-IT HURTS!"

No one answers.

"HELP ME!"

~~~~~~~

"AH!" Ryan sits up, waking up from the horrible dream, the last cry of the figure still ringing in her mind.

Her heart was racing in her chest...Footsteps in the hall announce her mother, as the woman runs to her daughter, with her husband right behind her.

"Ryan, are you alright? What happened?"

"N-Nightmare." "Oh, honey," Linda goes to her, and hugs her. "It's alright. We're here now..."

What scared Ryan the most, was that the dream seemed real, like a memory.

She hug her mom tight...Her dad, Bill, stands on the other side of Ryan and rubs her back in comfort.

"Thanks mom and dad.."

"We are here for you."

"Thank you.."

"Try to get some sleep, you have school in the morning."

"Good night." The parents leave.

Daylight soon covers the city. As Ryan walks down the street, her mind wanders. It has been three years since NiGHTs, Daianala, Jackle, and her best friend, Reala, defeated the Nightmare ruler, Wiseman.

Nightmares are still happening, but the Nightmaren have ceased in stealing Ideya from dreamers, and do not attack dreamers directly.

Jackle has stepped in and taken control of the still remaining Nightmarens and had been keeping a keen eye on things when the dreamers weren't there.

As far as Reality goes, Will and Helen are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. August, as NiGHTs, has become a big hero in the city, and crime has gone down to its all time low.

As she is thinking, a small gang begins to follow her.

Three boys, triplets, lead the gang. Ray, the blonde spikey haired boy, is one of the three. The other two are a brunet and a ginger, both with long ponytails. All three have a smirk on their face as they follow Ryan.

Zane, the black haired boy with black eyeliner, follows nonchalantly behind them with his companions, a little girl with curly brown hair and a tall-buff kid that wore iron knuckles and had green and blue Mohawk-styled hair.

Zane sighes, "And why are we following that middle-schooler?"

Ash, the red-head triplet, rolls his eyes, "Duh, this girl such a baby,"

"And so out of touch with the world," Says Rain, the brunet triplet.

Ray grins even wider, "We are going to give her a wake-up call, right bros?"

"Right," All three say at the same time. "Let's go."

Ryan suddenly bumps into something, and falls back on her rump. "Ow."

"That's what happens when you daydream too much, right bros?" "I'll say."

"It's too bad that her head is full of clouds."

"W-what do you guys want?"

"We want to help you," Says Rein.

"We wish to bring you back to reality," Says Ray

"We hope you have life insurance," Says Ash.

All three laugh.

"P-Please leave me alone."

Zane stands in between Ryan and the boys, looking at the triplets in a bored way, "Guys, she is of no worth to us...she doesn't even have any money for us to take..."

"Aw, come on, Zane!" Yells Ash.

"Why do you have to ruin our fun?" Asks Rein.

"You're a serious wet blanket, emo," Ray grumbles.

Zane looks at Ray, then punches him in the throat. Ray staggers backwards, and Rein and Ash catch him before he collapses.  
"I told you...Never...call me that," Says Zane in a low and quiet voice.

Ryan looks up at him. Zane looks back at her with his lightning blue eyes, "Go on, get out of here..."

She gets to her feet. "Thank you."

There is no answer.

Then Ryan runs off.

"Hey," The tall, buff boy looks down at Zane, "Why did you do that?"

"Mind your own buisiness, Joe..." Mutters Zane.

"Boys..." The brunet girl sighed.

"I don't see you helping, Bianca," Mutters Ray.

"Shove off." "I liked you better when you were a pipsqueak..."

"Back when I couldn't arm wrestle and beat all of you boys?"

"Ah, ah, ah...You still haven't beaten Joe," Says Ash with a grin.

"But he's too scared to do it."

Joe looks down, embarrassed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan soon makes it to the school, out of breath. That could have been an ugly situation. "That was..." It was a good thing that Zane bailed her out.

But why? Her thoughts are interrupted by the school bell.

At the high school, it is lunch period for our heroes Will, Helen, and August.

"They did have cake!"

Will chuckles, "Who had cake?" "The lunch ladies, they made fresh bake cake. Not the reheated stuff."

"Oh really?" Asks Helen.

"Yep^^."

"Then I am definitely getting some."

"Don't let anyone know till you get some." "Why is that?" Asks Will.

"It's the Red Velet Cake and you know how everyone one love it." "Oooooh."

All three get their food, and are soon sitting at their table. "So, what's the news on NiGHTs?" Asks Will.

"Stopped a robbery last night." "The Raccoon bandits?"

"They were too easy." August beamed.

"I heard rumors that they had come to town," Says Will.

"Heh."

"Well."  
"Well."  
"Well."

Rein, Ash, and Ray stand behind the three friends. (We took this from the scene of a Teen Titans episode)

"Hey, losers, this is our table, and you're sitting in our seats," Says Ray, grinning.

Rein looks at the three, having never seen them before, "You look familiar, did you go to the Solomonia Orphanage?"

"I'm hungry," Says Ash bluntly, and takes August's cake, eating it in one bite, "Get lost, freaks."

"Hey!" August exclaims.

"'Hey' yourself," Says Joe from the other side of the table, with Zane and Bianca on either side of him.

"You jerks!"

"Leave us alone!" Says Helen.

Ash makes a growl as he looks at Helen, "Aren't you a spice."

Will gets in front of Helen protectively, "Go, now, or you will regret it."

"You're at our table, simple as that," Says Zane in his smooth voice, "Just scatter, and sit at other tables...or pay us the fee of sitting at our table."

"Why I outta.." Helen and Will pulled August away.

"You outta' what, little boy?" Grins Ray, "Run crying to Fake Mommy after we kick your butts?"

"You take that back! She's not fake at all!"

"To you, she is, since she isn't your real mama," Says Rain with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"She's my mother period!"

Ash grabs August's collar, "I don't see your name on her, nerd." He shoves August into Will and Helen, "Now scram."

"Jerks..."

"Come on, let's go, August," Will leads him away as they take their lunches to sit in another spot.

"We can get more cake."

The gang sits down, with the triplets snickering at their victory.

"Too easy," Grins Rein. "Whimps."

Zane sits down, "Have you heard what the Night Jester has been up to?"

"Heard he stopped a robbery."

"Do you know anything else, Bianca?" Asks Rein, very interested.

"Like what?"

"The when, the where, the how?" "Last night, downtown and not sure."

"How many did he get this time?" Asks Ash.

"Five armed men." "Five? I thought the news bulletin stated three burglars," Says Joe.

"Oh whatever." "Five sounds better," Chuckles Ash, "Makes the Night Jester sound tougher."

"He rocks!" The whole gang agrees.

Irony No? The bully loves the superhero but hate the superhero's other identity. Spiderman and Danny Phantom anyone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will looks at August after they find a new spot, "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You can have some of my cake," Offers Helen.

"Thanks Helen." As he takes a piece.

"Those guys don't know what it is like to have parents," Says Will, "I guess their just jealous of you."

"It still hurt..."

"But is it true?" Asks Will, looking August in the eye.

"Yes..."

Will shakes his head, "August, none of what they said is true...I know it hurts, but you know Molly better than they ever will."

"I know..." "Let's finish lunch..."

So they do.

**Later ** school ends for the day, and Will looks at August, "Helen and I are going to the Mall this afternoon. You want to join us?"

"Sure thing I want to go look at the pet store anyway." "Finally getting a dog, huh?"

August smiles. "Or a cat, not sure yet." "They also have rabbits, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

"So let's go look."

"Wait up, we have to wait for Helen."

"Right."

But just as Will pointed it out. "Sorry I'm late, boys," Says Helen as she walks over to them.

"Ready to go Helen?"

"Ready," She smiles, "Let's go."

Off the three friends go. It takes them half an hour to get there.

"Look at all the pets" "Aww!"

All the animals, cats and dog and snakes oh my! Helen goes to look at the cats with Will.

"Mew." Kittens purr and play with each other. "They are so adorable!" Squeals Helen, which makes Will laugh.

Meanwhile, August is looking at some dogs near the cashier. And his eyes set on one. "Oh look a German Shepard." The puppy looks at him, wagging his tail.

August reads the sign. "Bucky."

Bucky barks, and sets his front paws against the glass.

"He just arrived here yesterday." Someone said behind him.

When August turns around, he sees the cashier watching him. She has green dyed hair put into a french braid, and deep brown eyes.

"Would you be interested in adopting him?"

He blinks. "Huh?"

The girl looks at him, a bit confused by his reaction. "The dog, Bucky. Would you like to adopt him?" She repeats.

"Oh um yes." August looks back at the puppy. The puppy barks happily.

The cashier grabs a scanner wand, and walks over to Bucky's kennel. When she gets close enough, August can see her name tag.

MEGAN

"So you work here-um Megan?" He asked.

"Of course I do. I am a cashier here, after all," She says, smiling at how he was trying to make a conversation, as she scans the bar-code on Bucky's kennel.

"How long?"

"About three months," She doesn't make eye contact, "I need the money to pay off a debt."

She looks at him, "Anyway, Bucky here is $178."

"That's fine by me." August smiles at the puppy. "My mom finally agreed to getting a pet. And I have a friend who has a dog too."

"Well then, come with me to pay for him, and we will get Bucky ready for you."

"Alright."

Will and Helen walk over as August pays for the dog. "You find one that you like?" Asks Helen.

"I sure did."

"So, where is the rascal?" Asks Will, looking around.

"Their getting him while I went to pay."

"Are these your friends?"

August jumped a little and looked at Megan. "Um yes. Will and Helen." The three meet and greet.

"Bucky is ready for you in the back."

August beams and leads the way. Bucky jumps on him as soon as he enters the room, and starts licking his face. "Hey! Heheh no no that tickles!"

Will, Helen, and Megan laugh.

"Help I'm being licked to death by a puppy!"

Will pries the dog off his new master, "Will he live, Helen?"

Helen checks, "Not sure, he may drown from dog slobber," She jokes.

August gasp for air from laughing so hard.

"Correction, he may die of suffocation by laughter," Giggles Megan.

"Silly boy." August rubs the puppy's head. Bucky yips in happiness.

"Is he ready to go?" "Yes, he has had all of his shots, and he is ready to go," Says Megan.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome." Megan goes back to stand at the counter.

"Let's go show Molly the puppy." Will and Helen nod. As they leave the mall, they hear screams and gunshots from inside.

"A daytime stick-up in a mall? Those crooks must be desperate," Comments Will.

"Here hold Bucky." August hands him over. Will takes the leash.

"Go get 'em, Nights," Says Helen.

August smiles and races back inside.

~~~~~~~

Inside, he finds people being held by masked men with assault rifles. One man even has Megan, "I think we'll keep this one, boys."

That makes August, now transformed in to NiGHTS, really mad. "I suggest you unhand her and the money, now."

"What the-!"

"Blast it, boys!" Yells the leader, dragging Megan and a bag of cash into a large clothing store.

The thugs open fire on NiGHTs.

He dives to the left. _"Shoot they got Megan!"_

He hears a scream.

"That's it." He growled and comes barreling out from his hiding spot and punching the shooters in the face. A few go flying into the walls, while a few others continue to shoot. A few get him in the arm.

"Gah!" NiGHTs holds his arm. Then kicks a stand at them. "Fall back!"

The gunners scream and run for their lives, only to get mowed down by the large stand as it crashes into them.

"Take that." NiGHTs chuckles a bit then gets up to go find the other man and Megan. He hears her scream, but it is further away this time.

"Darn it where did they go?"

"Night Jester!" Calls an old man.

"What is it?" He looks over to him.

"The villain took the poor girl through that clothing store, towards the emergency exit!"

"Thank you." He smiles and races in the pointed out direction. He hears Megan scream, but it is quickly cut off.

"I'm coming.."

He soon finds the crook in the hall of the emergency exit. A cloth is wrapped around the now unconscious Megan's mouth. The bad guy points the gun at NiGHTs, "Okay, Night Jester...Who's it going to be? You?" He points the gun at Megan's forehead, "Or the pretty girl here?"

"You get your dirty hands off of her." NiGHTS growls.

"Or what, clown? By the time you make a move, I will have already given her lead for brains," The crook grins.

"Fine fire at me but leave the girl alone."

"Fine by me," The villain fires. This is just what NiGHTs was waiting for.

Before the bullet hits him, NiGHTs dodges, and grabs Megan in his arms. "Sorry you missed."

Roaring, the villain opens fire on NiGHTs and Megan. He grazes Megan's leg.

_"I need to get her out of the way."_

Without another thought, he dualizes with her. Thankfully, the chloroform in her system has no effect on him as he dodges the bullets.

The villain, having seen this, is starting to freak out, "You disintegrated my hostage!" He unleashes his rounds at NiGHTs.

NiGHTS flies circles around them. "No I just sent her somewhere safe."

"Give her back! SHE'S MINE!" The bad guy tries to tackle NiGHTs.

"Not a chance!"

The two struggle against each other on the ground, as the villain tries to aim for NiGHTs head with his gun.

NiGHTS pushes his arm away. Then he feels a stinging sensation in his arm, when a bullet bites into it. "Ah!"

"Time to die, FREAK!"

"Never!"

The two struggle for many minutes. Knocking over rack after rack of clothes. Finally, NiGHTs knocks the crook out.

"Take ~pant~ that." He quickly un-dualized with Megan and held her in his arms. She moans, still unconscious. NiGHTS smiles softly. She is alive. "Now to get her some help."

Police begin to arrive, as well as an ambulance.

"Hey I got a girl over here who needs help!" NiGHTS calls to them. Medics rush over to him, and check the girl.

"She will be fine, but we better take her to the hospital in case of trauma."

"You look like you need a patch up too."

NiGHTs finally notices the small lines of blood that had trickled out of the wounds he had gained when dualized with Megan. "No I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Night Jester?"

"Yes." "Alright, let's go people! Get the rest of the wounded!"

"Thanks again Jester."

"Yeah, thank you very much for all you've done to help."

"Anytime." NiGHTS flies into the air. "Just make sure the girl's ok."

"You got it!"

So the jester turns and zooms out of the mall. Will and Helen are waiting for him, sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree across the street. NiGHTS quickly lands and switches back to August.

Will smiles, "So, what happened?"

"Stop the bad guys and save Megan." "Wow...you are her knight in shining armor," Giggles Will.

"She kind of..was knocked out."

"I'm sure she will be told by the others," Says Helen, after elbowing Will. Bucky races over and starts a licking session.

"He was worried."

"I'm fine heheeh that tickles!" August luaghs and Bucky barks in happiness. "Let's take you to see Molly."

Bucky wags his tail. The group laughs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Ryan has just gotten out of her classes for the day. She flung her blue backpack onto her back. Many kids walk home with their friends, but Ryan walks alone. Her friends have to take buses home.

Or are busy with other things. _Its been three years..._ her mind wanders to her best friend, Reala.

She wondered where he was now.

She suddenly feels someone grab her back pack, and pull her back. As she falls on her rump, she sees that she had almost got run over by a truck at an intersection.

"Oh gosh!" Realizing how close that was.

"You better watch your step..."

Ryan looks up at the rescuer. Zane, who is standing beside her, is looking at a book in his hand nonchalantly...her book. **(The Phantom of the Opera.)**

"You saved me?"

"Yes." He opens the book, skimming through the pages.

"Oh...ok.."

"Now what I want to know is why you carry this book around like a doll."

"I don't do that!" She huffed.

"Then I guess this isn't your book..."

"What! No! Please give it back..." "A grown girl like you doesn't need a fairy's tale."

"It's a sad romantic story not a fairy tale." Ryan looked at the book.

"Kind of reminds me of you, a sad romantic girl... hopelessly lost in her dreamland."

"Buzz off! You don't know a thing about me."

His blue eyes look at hers, and he throws the book at her feet, "And you know nothing of me." He walks off.

Ryan grabs her book and holds it close. It wasn't just a book...not to her. Never. A few blocks away, Zane looks back. He shakes his head and continues to walk.

Ryan gets herself on her feet. "I should head home..." She looks both ways before crossing the street. And heads for home...

"Hey, Ryan. How was school?" Asks her father as she walks into the house. She puts her bag down. "Fine.."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea.."

"Alright."

"What's for dinner?"

"Grilled cheese and fruit salad, with banana bread for dessert." "Yum."

Her father smiles, "There's that smile I was looking for." "Daddy.." She pushed him.

"Smiles are good for the world...We need more of them..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Elsewhere**, Xavier and Molly are making dinner, when they hear a bark at their front door.

"I'm hooommme!"

Xavier is suddenly tackled by a large puppy, and practically licked to death. "Whoa!"

Xavier laughs, trying to push the dog off.

"Guys meet Bucky." "I believe we are well acquainted," Chuckles Xavier.

Molly beams. "He's so cute." Bucky barks, then sits in front of Molly, wagging his tail.

August sits down next to him. "Looks like we have a new member of the Daniels family."

"Has he gotten all of his shots?"

August nods.

"Very good."

August smiles and pats the puppy. "We better go get a collar and name tag for him before dinner."

"Alright." "We leave in ten minutes."

"Till then we can play." August raced the puppy to the backyard. Xavier shakes his head. And Molly grins.

Xavier goes to get the car keys. The man looks outside at his nephew playing with Bucky. He chuckles.

Such a kid. For a moment, Xavier wishes to be Daianala again...but only for a moment.

Xavier then shakes his head, then opens the window, "August, Bucky, let's go!"

"Come on boy!" August gets to his feet and races to the car. Bucky barks, and runs after his new best friend. "Arf Arf!"

"Come on, Bucky!"

Both climb into the backseat. Xavier starts the car, and is soon driving to the pet store nearby.

_"Wonder how Megan's doing."_ August thought to himself. Bucky whines. The kid rubs his ears. Bucky rests his head on August's lap.

A few minutes later, Xavier pulls into the parking lot. "We're here."

Come on you two. We have an hour before they close."

"Right." Xavier leads the two inside, "Alright, August. Pick two tags for Bucky."

The kid nods and races to find them. The puppy follows him. "Place sure is quiet now."

Bucky just follows him.

Blue collar maybe? A red one? Bucky watches him pick out the tags.

"Prefect." A heart and a bone. Bucky barks happily.

"Let's go check out."

Xavier is waiting over by the cash register with a plastic bag already in his hand, "Ready to purchase?"

"Yes."

"Alright, set them on the counter then."

"Can you engrave these?" Xavier asks the man behind the counter.

"Sure can, what do you want on it?"

"Bucky Daniels, my address and phone number, and these numbers here."

"One moment."

Xavier nods.

The guy quickly comes back and hands him the tags.

"Wow, that fast?" "Yes sir."

"Now that is what I call service," Compliments Xavier.

"Have a nice day."

"Good night, sir," Says Xavier on his way out with August and Bucky.

"That went better then before."

"Before?" Asks Xavier. August blinks. "Oh um..there was a robbery after school."

Xavier looks at his nephew, "Really, what happened?"

Well he told his uncle. Minus a detail or two. "That must have been fun," Says Xavier as they get to the car.

"Well everyone made it out." Xavier gets Bucky in, then gets in himself, "That is good to hear."

"Can I take Bucky to Will's tomarrow?" "Tomorrow is a Saturday...Alright."

"Yesss..."

"But Bucky is a big responsibility. Take good care of him."

August nods. "I will unc." Xavier instantly stops the car on the empty road. "What was that, August?"

"Nothing~"

"I hope so..." He starts driving again. "I can make you fly home, you know."

"I know."

Xavier chuckles. They get home, and walk inside. Night passes without much incident. For once, everyone is too tired to dream that night.

**AN: Well hey guys! Brand new story. I hope you like and fav/follow. Feel free to leave suggestions and ideas!**


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